1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to information communicated in a digital wrapper and, more particularly, to a system and method for programming of frame synchronization words for the purposes of selectively broadcasting the communication frame structure.
2. Description of the Related Art
Frame synchronization is used in most communication's technologies where extra bandwidth is required to add functionality into the original data stream. There is no standard practice with respect to the bandwidth allocation of frame synchronization words. Neither is there an ability to customize the bandwidth and synchronization thresholding, adaptive to various bit error rate conditions in a variable rate forward error correction (FEC) system implementing an interleaved multi-frame superframe.
It would increase information bandwidth if all the bytes, or words of a digital frame structure could be devoted to payload. However a significant portion of the frame is devoted to FEC to remove errors that are introduced in data transmission lines. Even fiber optic systems can be noisy enough to introduce errors, when the distance between nodes is great enough. Part of the frame must also be used for maintenance functions between communication nodes. Further, a portion of the frame must be devoted to synchronization. The synchronization function becomes even more critical when the frames are scrambled to randomize the data density. These maintenance and synchronization bytes reside in the overhead section of the frame. However, as mentioned above, there is no standard protocol defining the number, location, or value of frame synchronization bytes.
It would be advantageous if communication hardware could be developed that permitted flexibility in defining the frame synchronization bytes, so as to permit the hardware to be used in a number of communication protocols.
It would be advantageous if communications could be broadcast to an entire network, but only received at a selected group of nodes by using different synchronization schemes.
It would be advantageous if some nodes could be selectively excluded from communications that are broadcast to a network of nodes.
It would be advantageous if nodes could be selectively excluded from network communications by controlling synchronization parameters.
It would be advantageous if the value of frame synchronization bytes (FSBs) could be made selectable in a multidimensional digital frame structure for use in controlling the synchronization patterns.
Likewise, it would be advantageous if the quantity, location, and bit error rates of the FSBs could be made selectable to accommodate a number of communication standards, or changes to existing standards.